Wandering Circles
by windbreaking
Summary: Kagome had been kidnapped. Her hand hurt from banging the wagon door. Kagome did not even know how long she had been in this thing. Earlier today, she had been returning from the future and never expected that these men would ambush her and take her away from her friends.
1. Kidnapped

**Chapter 1: Kidnapped**

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Kagome had been kidnapped.

Her hand hurt from banging the wagon door. Kagome did not even know how long she had been in this thing. Earlier today, she had been returning from the future and never expected that these men would ambush her and take her away from her friends.

She was scared and alone. Kagome did not know why they had taken her. What did they want from her? However, no matter how much she screamed, they refused to release her.

Kagome was in a dark wagon and she hoped that she will never be in one again. She had to figure out a way to escape. Her fingers tried to find a clue in the dark. Despair and tears were in her throat. She was going to die, and never see her friends again. Desperation drove her to not give up. No one was going to save her. She had to save herself.

Then she felt something move. What? She touched it again then the wagon latch moved. Kagome touched it again. The door opened.

The wagon opened and the air rushed at her face. This wagon was going so fast that it made her stomach hurt. Kagome had to jump. She had to jump. What if they realized that she was gone? She was sure that they would hurt her. She knew that the longer she worried the more this chance would leave her. With her nerves tightening all her blood, Kagome jumped, and landed on the ground in a heap.

She looked behind her to see the wagonwas still going.

She had to run away, and then stood up and her legs protested from the many hours that she had been in that magic trap. Then Kagome ran as fast as she could run. Kagome ran into the woods where she knew that it would make it hard from them to follow her.

The trees would protect her from their grasp. Kagome hated that she did not recognize this area. How far had they taken her? Kagome have been to many places, but she did recognize these trees, rocks, and grass. She did not know them. Yet, that did not slow her. Kagome ran as if she knew where she was going even though she had no clue at all. Kagome needed to escape.

When Kagome knew that she had crossed enough distance, then she stopped to breathe. Her lungs burned and her breathes were shallow. She smiled to herself. She had escaped from those thieves that had tied to steal her.

Triumphantly, Kagome tossed her long hair over her shoulder. Her long legs burned from the run.

Her throat was parched, but there was no water in sight.

Kagome scanned the trees for fruit and saw a apple tree. She stood on her tiptoes to reach for the fruit. Her hand grasped the fortune and she sunk into it and sighed at how delicious the sweetness was.

Suddenly, she felt much better. Kagome would return to her friends. She would find them somehow. Kagome walked out of the jungle into the clearing. There was a path. She could tell that animals used this trail as well as humans. That meant that water should be somewhere nearby.

Animals always could find water.

She walked down the path and to her surprise, she saw a boy that looked around her age.

He looked strange. Clearly, he was not from around her. The boy was laying on the ground and not moving.

Was he alive?

Although, she could not understand why, Kagome went closer to him. He was still breathing. He was handsome and around her age. He had red hair and was clearly a demon. Maybe a little older like 15 or 16 years old. Why was he here by himself? It would be dark soon. It was not safe. He was bleeding. Kagome looked around to see if anyone was around. She did not see anyone. She should leave. She started to walk away. Kagome had bigger problems, so she could not help this boy.

She turned away from him. Kagome was leaving.

Why couldn't she take a single step away?

She sighed.

She could not leave him. He was bleeding. Bleeding in the forest in the dark was a bad idea. Even if he was alive now then he would be dead by morning. Something would eat him.

Kagome patted his leg, "Wake up. If you continue to lie there then you will become dinner."

He did not respond.

Kagome tore off a piece of the bottom of her shirt, pulled up his sleeve, eyed the blood pouring from it, and wrapped her cloth around it to stop the bleeding.

It was never a good idea to sleep near a trail. She had to move him, and she did not know if she could. He was at least six feet two. Sure, he was just a slim teenager, but he was all muscle. This was going to be painful.

She grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled. He barely moved. She used more of her strength to pull him. It seemed like it took forever to move him. Finally, when she felt that this was a safe place, then she stopped. Kagome dropped to the floor and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Boys." She muttered.

Then Kagome built a fire. She tried her best to clean his wounds.

She leaned back against the tree. The boy was still sleeping. She would only protect him tonight. In the morning, Kagome swore that she would leave , she did not mind helping others, but right now she needed to find her way home.


	2. Pretense

**Chapter 2: Pretense **

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Shippuuden woke up to see Kagome staring at him and he froze in shock. He had forgotten how beautiful that she had been. Or maybe since back then he had been too young to notice. How had she found him? He had not expected to see anyone, yet. It was miles away from Kaeda's village.

She should not be here. There must be something wrong.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked him.

Figures that she would not recognize him, since he had grown up. He was much taller and had lean muscle. Even his copper hair was long and past his waist. His powers were strong enough to maintain a humanoid form, so his tail no longer showed unless he transformed into his true form. His face was not a child and not an adult still a teenager. Still how could she know, after all, it had been a hundred years since he had last seen her. The memory of that last day hurt. He could not think about it. He had to focus.

"I'm fine." He said in a deep smooth voice that she probably could not recognize either. Trying not to be unnerved to see her again after all these years. It was unreal to see this girl that he should never had seen again. He was torn between embracing her and running away.

She tilted her head as her brown eyes swirled in confusion. "You seem very familiar. Have we met?"

He considered telling her, but there was no point. Then there would be questions that he could not answer. How do you tell someone that you know their future and it was not good? The words were stuck in his throat as she waited for him to speak. He shook his head.

Kagome bit her lip, "If you are feeling better than I have to go home and it is far away from here."

Shippuuden stood up gracefully in one fluid motion, and almost smirked when Kagome gasped at his sudden movement. "let's go."

"No, we are not going together. I have to go." She said.

"I owe you one for last night." He insisted. "You did not have to help me. The least I could do is keep you company. You might get attacked by a demon."

Kagome smiled. "Aren't you a demon?"

His mouth dropped, pretending as if he was offended. "I would never hurt you. I owe you a debt. Don't you trust me?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Am I just supposed to trust you? I don't know you. You did not even tell me your name."

He almost said Shippo, so she would recognize him. But he had not used his nickname in years since the ones that called him that were all dead. Honestly, he hated the thought of anyone calling him Shippo. That belonged to a more innocent time and to a more innocent him. A time that he has searched for years to redo. It took so long to find a ways to return here. To return to her. To them. He had almost lost hope that this was possible. However, this girl had taught him that it was possible to move through time, so he had searched everywhere for a way until he found it.

He was not sure if this was a mistake, since he also learned from Kagome that returning to the past might change things for the worse. She probably would have told him not to return if she could have. Messing with time always created unforeseen ripples. Yet, he could not stop the thoughts of would have, could have, and should have. A chance to fix the past. A chance to see his friends again. Just for one second. It was a temptation that kept him awake many nights. To hell with the careless fates, Shippuuden would make his own path.

He had smelled the insect demon before it attacked them.

Shippuuden flexed his claws, and his emerald eyes glittered at his prey. "Hold that thought."

He went past her, moving with speed, agility, and strength, he pulled his sword then sliced the insect demon in half. That was easy. He started to turn around when he sensed more of them.

He then saw the demon behind her and his anger rose at the idea of anything hurting her. Quickly, he grabbed Kagome by the waist to pull her away from the insect demon that was behind her. Then he swirled in a deadly circle that cut all of them down. He landed on the ground as the last one died. "My name is Shippuuden."

She lowered her bow and arrow. "My name is Kagome. You could have let me get at least one."

Shippuuden smiled brightly, "Shouldn't we be going?" She had to trust him now. There was no way that he was letting walk all the way to Edo by herself. She would never make it. Trouble and Kagome had to be long lost twins. He would take her there even if he had to do it by force.

Kagome sighed, "I guess the company would be nice. But honestly, I am not sure where I am. I am kinda of lost." Her voice getting softer and softer with the embarrassment of her admission.

Of course, she was in trouble, there had to more to the story but Shippuuden did not press her. "Where do you live?"

The innocent question rolled off his tongue easily. He had to pretend that he did not know her. He would take her back to Inuyasha then he had to complete his mission. He forgot how naive Kagome was, because she really should not trust strangers, so easily. She did not even call her a simmer of her spiritual powers, her guard was completely down.

Her eyes blinked as she looked down. "I live in Kaeda's village."

"Kaeda's village?" Shippuuden repeated with a sad smile as the memories of the kind elder hit him.

"Do you know where that is?" she asked.

Shippuuden nodded. No one could ever forget where home was. That place full of beautiful and painful memories that haunt you when you least expect it.


	3. Unnerved

**Author's Note**

**Thank you Emeraldd 30, Guest, Tigra22**

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**Chapter 3: Unnerve**

Shippuuden and Kagome walked for miles until Kagome got tired. He did think about offering to carry her like Inuyasha used to carry her, but he did not want to scare her away. There were supposed to be strangers after all. And maybe after all these years to him, she was a stranger or even a ghost.

He always thought that he would be happy to see Kagome. That he would hug her like he used to, and she would stroke his hair, but how could he hug her now. She would probably purify him. Shippuuden would deserve it since he refused to be that weak ever again. After his father's death, he had made new friends that were like a new family. It made him think that he had a new family that he was not alone again. But that had not lasted long. The last thing that he needed was to pretend that he was not alone. That delusion was one that he outgrew.

He always imagined returning to the past to when he was happy. He was finally here but instead of comfort, he felt anxious.

"Shippuuden, I'm sorry that I doubted you." Kagome said as she sat down on the ground. "It is actually nice to have company. I feel guilty for dragging you along. You really don't have to go with me. I can defend myself."

He shook his head. "No, I have to make sure that get home." He had already said this to her many times, but Kagome was as stubborn as always.

"You are too nice to be true." She smiled as she reached over for her yellow book bag.

His eyes darken for a second when he saw that future bag that seemed like magic to him when he was younger. "I never claimed to be nice."

Kagome giggled. "You could have fooled me. I do appreciate it. I thought I was having the worst day. Those horrible guys had kidnapped her and took her so far away. Usually my friends should look for me, but they probably did not even know what happened to me."

"I'm surprised that you escaped on your own." Shippuuden said his deep voice had a hint of sarcasm.

She wrinkled her nose. "What are you trying to say?"

Shippuuden looked down at her. "Nothing."

Kagome stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I told you that I know how to defend myself. I am a priestess after all."

"So you can defend yourself from me?" Shippuuden teased as he leaned towards her.

She did not flinch. "Why would I have to defend myself from you."

"Because I am a demon." Shippuuden said. She really should not not trust demons so easily. Any other demon would kill her and steal the jewels that she was hiding under her shirt.

Kagome shook her head, "Shippuuden, you don't scare me."

Then her stomach rumbled.

Wait here. I will get something to eat." He told her.

Kagome started to unzip her bag. "I have plenty of food."

Shippuuden really want to get away from her unnerving scent, "Okay, I will get firewood then."

He left before she could say no. Not that it mattered if she said no. He was no longer a child. He did not have to listen to her requests. He always did exactly what he wanted to do. It was how he lived for many years. But he should not feel like catering to another, even if it was Kagome.

He unleashed his youkai and began to run through the forest and cutting down trees, destroying them to help get rid of his anger. It made no sense to him how all his tight controls were loosening.

He was strong. He was not going to lose himself to memories.

Memories of friendships that no longer mattered. One look should be enough. He should not linger with Kagome of all the humans in the world. This was a mistake. He thought that this was what he always wanted. But he was not the same so how can the past be the same. It is different because he is different.

He knew that he could not stay in the past. Shippuuden needed to keep himself together. He stopped running and his hands trembled.

He picked up pieces of wood to take back to their campsite. He shouldn't have went so far away. She was just a human. He was not that kid that depended on her good will right now she depended on his good will.

Kagome smiled brightly when she saw him. "Did you want tea?"

Shippuuden looked away from her. "No."

She blinked. "Okay- I will just make some ramen, I'm sure that you never ate it but you have to try it. I'm sure that you will love it."

He started to say no. He did not want her ramen. Not anymore. But her smile was so bright that the word, no, died on his lips.


End file.
